Since 2009/2010, we the “Friends of Gaza” have been helping and supporting the children of poor families in the Gaza strip wherever we could with food, clothes, cookers, mattresses, blankets and medical aid.

But I must say after the war in 2014 when  Israel launched an intensive air, sea and ground assault it became very hard to keep up with the hundred thousands of people needing help. Working with our people on the ground in Gaza became even harder because later in 2014 and the early part of 2015 the people had to endure flooding where even more people lost their homes and belongings.

This had been the third major conflict between Israel and Hamas who had taken control of Gaza in 2007. This latest massacre committed against Shuja iva district in 2014 took place in the most densely populated area, north east of Gaza where houses are built so close to each other they resemble one unit. We have put together just a few of the families and children we have managed to help. Their faces have been obscured to protect their identity.

With more funding we could accomplish more help and support to these children and poor families.

Just some of the children and families “ FOG” have supported over the last year with clothes, food, cookers, pots and pans for cooking, gas cylinders, mattresses, and blankets, and special medical needs and special foods for baby’s.

Over the last six years

Our representative Rasem and his colleagues have paid their first visit to the families and he asked the them how the “Friends of Gaza” could help. He was given a list consisting of a cooker, washing machine, mattresses, rugs, blankets and an electric heaters.

The first stage was to buy mattresses, rugs, and blankets now as winter has set in. We will of course follow up their request with the second stage.

Remember they have no carpets on any floors, so the rugs act in some small way to give them some sort of warmth underfoot.

Rasem with his colleagues and family travelled to the market to purchase the items, which in turn are presented to the family. All items brought have the “Friends of Gaza” label attached

Recent floods which swept through Gaza exacerbated suffering in the Gaza Strip.

Because of flooding, over 5,000 persons have had to be evacuated from their homes, where they were trapped by rising waters. They have been taken to shelters around the Strip. About 100 persons have been injured by the storms and floods.